Archive for August, 2010
Next Entries »South African workers begin strike
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010BBC News, 18 August 2010 Public sector workers in South Africa have begun an open-ended strike, having rejected the government’s offer of a pay rise. Unions affiliated with Cosatu, South Africa’s main union federation, have been holding out for an 8.6% rise, more than the latest government offer of 7%. The strike was reported to [...]
South African journalists condemn efforts to silence them
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010David Smith, The Guardian, 15 August 2010 Royal sex scandals rarely come riper. A government minister is caught in bed with the king’s wife – in fact, one of the king’s 14 wives. Ndumiso Mamba, justice minister in Swaziland, is forced to resign and could yet face much worse from King Mswati III. But just [...]
Swaziland faces a long struggle for freedom
Thursday, August 12th, 2010Guardian Online, Blessing-Miles Tendi, 8 August 2010 Throughout July Swaziland’s King Mswati III – one of the world’s last absolute monarchs – intensified his assault on independent media and opposition under the guise of combating terrorism. Using the prevention of terrorism act, King Mswati III has branded all opposition parties and labour unions terrorist groups, [...]
Why Argentina – and the rest of us – need a UN women’s agency
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010Guardian Online, 10 August 2010 Anybody wonder why we need a UN women’s agency? Maybe the latest report from Human Rights Watch – out today – will offer some clues. It’s about Argentina – not the poorest or the least sophisticated or illiberal country in the world. It voted to legalise gay marriage, after all. [...]
South African workers march in wage strike
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010BBC News, 10 August 2010 Tens of thousands of South African public servants marched to government offices in Pretoria and parliament in Cape Town during nationwide marches. The main union federation, Cosatu, has called on more than 1m workers to strike over a wage dispute. Cosatu has threatened a “full-blown strike” if their demands are [...]
South African journalists fight proposed media laws
Monday, August 9th, 2010Mail and Guardian Online, 9 August, 2010 South African journalists have launched a campaign to fight what they say is an attempt to curtail media freedoms in a nation known for one of Africa’s freest and most open Constitutions. In a declaration published in all main Sunday newspapers, the South African National Editors’ Forum said [...]
Sucessful march in solidarity with Swazi people
Monday, August 2nd, 2010COSATU, July 30, 2010 The Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) would like to express its gratitude to the SACP, SASCO,YCLSA, ANC, ANCYL, COSATU and all the other people who joined us in Mpumalanga as we staged the largest ever mass protest on South African soil againts Mswati’s tyrrany. At least 4000 people turned up for the [...]
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